Lauren London Exclusive Interview: ‘Under My Skin” (Part 2)

After we got most of the serious topics out of the way last week in part one of this interview, the beautiful actress and model Lauren London responded candidly to my barrage of not-quite-so-deep questions:

You are stranded on an island for the weekend. Name three male and three female celebrities you hope are stranded there with you, and why.

Dr. Phil, so he can talk me off the ledge (laughs). Barack Obama, because you better believe Air Force One is coming to get him, and we won’t be stranded too long. And, Bobby Flay, because if we’re going to be stranded we might as well be enjoying some good food.

And the females?

Oprah, because… (pause) she’s Oprah. Barbara Streisand, because I’ve admired her since I was a little girl. And, Khloe (Kardashian) because she’s a real friend and she’s hilarious.

What would you name the street you’d like to build your home on?

Get Away Lane

Is that “Get Away” as in “this is my refuge” or “Get Away” as in “leave me alone?”

(Laughs) It could go either way, right?

You are rear ended at a traffic stoplight. What are you doing in the first ten seconds?

Cursing.

I’m a genie granting you one wish with the stipulation that you have to use it on yourself. What is your wish?

I wish you would give me the ability to get out of my own way.

Name a character in a book that forever changed you.

Dinah in The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. She lived through tough circumstance but she kept overcoming and getting stronger the more difficulties she faced. She knew more than she should have for her age, but it helped her survive and thrive.

If you could spend a day in any man’s skin, who would you want to be for 24 hours?

Will Smith. I think I could learn so much about this business being him.

What are three qualities you don’t want in a husband. Three deal breakers:

Someone who doesn’t believe in God. A liar. And, someone who’s been madly in love more than ten times.

You once told an interviewer that O-Dog from Menace to Society was your dream date. Who’s your dream date now?

Okay, that was my first interview ever and I was being sarcastic. Sarcasm doesn’t translate well in print, does it?

So, who’s your dream date now?

I haven’t met him. I’ll tell you what… He’s not a menace to me or society.

My last question is keeping in line with the theme of Skin Deep. How do you feel about being half Black and half Jewish. How has that impacted you?

Whatever your ethnicity is, in this life you are going to be on a journey to discover who you are and how you feel about yourself. I do remember being teased by my cousins on my mom’s side for not being black enough, and then I’d spend the summer with my dad and be sent to all white summer camps where I was “that black girl.” I struggled for about a minute with that, then I figured it out for myself. What it has done for me is I don’t care what people think about my identity. If someone thinks I’m not black enough that’s their issue. I’m okay with who I am and it is what is. I’m a Black woman like my mother, and I love who my father is, and I love both sides of me. Nobody makes a big deaI about it anymore because I won’t take that anymore.

This is an exclusive interview. All rights reserved. Excerpts of this article can be published with a link back to http://kathleencross.com. To use the article in its entirety, please contact the author: email (at) kathleencross (dot com)

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Cute questions. Fun too read. The car accident question tell me you are a regular girl like me. I would be cursing too hahaha. You are too pretty, though. I can’t stand that about you. JK ;-X xoxoxoxoxoxo

i get why lauryn doesn’t talk to press much but im glad she did this interview. she seems like a down2earth person who is living and learning like the rest of us. i think your beauty shows on the inside 2 lauryn. wish u show us your baby but i understand why not

I loved this interview. Lauren is my idol and this interview just shows you why. She’s real and she remains herself all the time. She’s a great actress and you can tell she loves what she does. I’m happy for you and I hope 2011 will be your comeback year

great story! great questions! Not that it matters, but I didn’t know LL was biracial. I’ve always liked her as an actress, but after reading the article. I like her even more…she appears really down to earth!

@ syreeta – honey, ALL the negativity is on one of the gossip sites I just left….man, they UNNECCASSARILY(sp?) go for the jugular. Anywho, really good interview, really honest answers. A piece of unsolicited advice: Lauren, just by reading your interviews, you seem real smart, real grounded. If acting is your dream, continue to pursue just DONT GET CAUGHT UP IN THE MACHINE. Hollywood seems to chew up good, normal ppl and spit out mental cases. Go to some “seemingly” grounded actresses for advice…..like, Alfre Woodard or Angela Bassett. JS.

Very true bout the gossip sites out there. I don’t believe none of them cause all it is is straight up lies, especially mediatakeout and lipstick alley, all they wanna give is juicy shit that they think we wanna hear, and no facts, PERIOD. I love to read articles bout celebs that is an interview not something like according to our sources shit that is bull to me…. wish it was more questions though but good interview….

I agree with Eugene that race does not make “who you are.” I have 4 mixed race children and have always told them at the end of the day “who they are” comes from within theirself & to not let people or their own self determine them by their outer appearance and & to not let society pressure them into picking a race – they are all just human beings.

I’m happy you did this interview and shed light into your life. Race is part of our identity and it’s important we aren’t afraid to share wisdom on over coming our the challenges faced.http://www.sweetdose.com